strong hand delicate hand
by Stormjade
Summary: Haruka and Rin have some business to take care of. They leave Makoto and Gou with some time on their hands.
1. hands

**gosh i hope these two turn out canon.**

**the cover art by Himi**

**her tumblr URL is phobialia, if you wanted to know.**

**EDIT: after the second episode, i rewrote a bit of the beginning to accommodate Gou's inner fangirl :3**

* * *

Makoto broke the surface of the water, enjoying the feeling of breathing normally as he shook his head to clear it. He glanced over to Haruka, who was swimming laps calmly. The public pool wasn't that crowded, but there were a few high school girls who lounging by the pool and a couple of families with small children.

_I think those girls go to Iwatobi as well,_ Makoto thought to himself.

He place his elbows on the edge of the pool and looked at the pool's entrance. He blinked when he realized that Gou-or Kou-was shutting the gate behind her. He waved and beamed at her, calling out her name.

"Good afternoon, Kou-chan! Mind helping me out?"

She walked over to the pool side and held out a slender hand.

_Gou has nice hands._

Makoto's large one engulfed her own and the petite girl was nearly pulled in trying to help him out. Makoto's taut shoulder and back muscles flexed and glistened in the midday sun. He could see the high school girls giggling and ogling at his dripping wet torso a few yards away.

He pulled himself up to his full height of six feet and grinned at the red haired girl in front of him.

Gou tried not to blush and stare at Makoto's chest. His shoulders were broad and finely sculpted, and his pecs could be a work of art. She tore her eyes away and willed herself to look at his eyes.

"What are you going to do here, Kou-chan? I don't see that you've brought a swimsuit or anything."  
"Onii-chan asked me to tell Nanase-san something."  
"Hm? He couldn't've just told Haru-chan himself? What are you going to tell him anyway? Who does it involve?"

Gou shot him a sour look and crossed her arms.

"We have our reasons. Stay out of this."

_Agh, she probably thinks I'm a rude jerk now! Nice going, man._

He placed his hand on her upper arm and the other on the back of his neck.

"So sorry! I didn't mean to intrude..."

Her expression softened at the apology and she looked straight into his green eyes with her clear red-violet ones. The wordless eye contact lasted for more than a few seconds before she broke the silence.

"Can you get him out of the pool now?"

He turned quickly on his heels and catapulted into the pool, using his momentum to torpedo through the water like a bullet. Makoto caught up with Haruka and pointed at Gou, smiling at his friend.

Reluctantly, Haruka allowed Makoto to help him out and Gou hurriedly pulled him aside. Makoto couldn't help but notice the way Gou slightly blushed as she leaned in and place a hand on his drenched skin to whisper something in his ear.

_Maybe she likes Haru-chan...? It wouldn't be a surprise..._

Haruka only nodded in response to her and shrugged her off indifferently to dry himself and leave the pool.

"Now I _really_ want to know what this is about. I don't think I've ever seen Haru-chan so eager to leave a pool."  
"I can only tell you that he won't be back for some time. You should leave too, if you don't want to swim all alone."

_Ack! My chance is slipping away!_

Gou turned to leave as well, but she had only walked one step before Makoto grabbed her wrist.

"W-wait!"  
"What is it?"  
"Will you swim with me, then?!"

_Shitshitshitshit I'm an idiot she's going to say no anyways why did you say that she doesn't even have a swimsuit with her and you barely know each other you damn idio-_

"Sure, Tachibana-san."  
"Uh, what?"  
"I said okay. It _is_ hot today. My house is near here. I'll go get my swimsuit."  
"Ah...okay. See you in a bit!"

He forced a smile to mask his flustered emotions. He watched her as she strolled out of the pool area and sighed with relief.

_Easygoing girl, isn't she?_

Makoto sat down on the bench to drink some of his water and relax.

* * *

By the time Gou had returned with a duffel bag, a towel and some drinks half an hour later, Makoto had returned to the water. He resurfaced in front of her and waved hello as she proceeded with taking her clothes off, revealing the one piece underneath. It was the most skin Gou had ever shown to Makoto and the older boy tried not to gape at her.

Makoto outstretched both of his arms up to her expectantly and Gou looked down quizzically in response. Confused, she took hold of his hands. He pulled a Nagisa before she could say anything and hauled her into the water.

She came up spluttering and indignant.

"T-Tachibana-san!"

He cut through the water towards her and looked her in the eye.

"Just call me Mako-chan, kay?"  
"...alright."

They spent the rest of the day having splash fights and racing each other until they were both too pooped to swim another inch. The two laughed until they thought they would cry and by the time the sun was painting a fiery red painting with the sky as the canvas, they felt like old friends. Makoto and Gou sat on the bench next to each other, sharing the drinks Gou had brought, trying to regain enough energy to walk home.

_That was...really fun. I wonder if Gou and I could ever do something like this again..._

"Mako-chan, do you want to go somewhere for dinner? I'll pay."  
"What are you saying, letting you pay would be an insult to my masculinity! I'll pay!"  
"Wait, what masculinity?"

She flashed him a cheeky smile and he nudged her playfully, laughing to themselves.

"I know a great place that serves delicious yakisoba, how about there? I just know you'll love it, Kou-chan."  
"Alright, let's go, then!"

She stood up and extended her hand to help him up.

Gou grinned as her delicate hand was overtaken by Makoto's sturdy one.


	2. lips

**small little epilogue. i thought it deserved at least a bit more of a conclusion.**

* * *

"Sooo...I'm guessing this is good night?"  
"Good night then, Mako-chan."

_I love it when she gives me that beautiful smile._

"I really wish I could walk you home but..."  
"I understand. You and Haruka have an exam tomorrow, don't you?"  
"Yeah, I haven't even begun studying for that."

They stood outside of Makoto's home.

_Ack, I don't want to leave her. How should I say goodbye? A kiss? No, that's too much right now. A kiss on the forehead? Still too much. A hug? Eh, it's the best option right now._

He planned on just quickly embracing her for a second, but when he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close, letting her head rest against his chest, he found that he really, really,_ really_ did not want to let go. Makoto heard her sigh ever so slightly and relax into his torso. He gently stroked the ends of her long ponytail. It felt to him as if they were glued together.

That is, until, his little siblings came out.

"Onii-chan, is she your girlfriend?"  
"Mommy, Onii-chan has a girlfriend! Come see!"  
"A-Ack! Go back inside, you two!"

Gou and Makoto sprang apart, cheeks hotter than an oven, and the two little devils started pushing their older brother towards Gou again.

"She _is_ your girlfriend, right?"  
"You have to kiss her good night, Onii-chan!"  
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

_Oh god no please no don't make me do this I'm not ready I'm never going to be ready oh god she's blushing she's so cute when she's blushing I'M BLUSHING SHIT_

Makoto's eyes darted from the flustered Gou to the anticipating eyes of his little siblings. They kept chanting "kiss, kiss," and the volume of their chanting was increasing with every "kiss!" Soon the entire neighborhood would come out to see what was going on.

"Fine!"

He swiftly framed Gou's face with his hands, tilted up her head and kissed her.

Quite passionately, actually.

He didn't seem to take in the fact that his little siblings were watching.

"Good night, Kou-chan."  
"Uh-uhm...good night."

Makoto playfully bopped the two kids on the head as he turned around, partly angry at his siblings but elated that she hadn't rejected his kiss.

"What did you two idiots do that for, huh?"

The three started walking back towards the house, and as Makoto's little brother jumped onto his back and his little sister was scooped up into Makoto's arm, Gou stood there, blushing furiously, with her dainty fingers running across the soft, pink skin on her lips. The feeling of his lips left hers tingling.

She just smiled and with one last glance towards the three siblings, she started home.


End file.
